my new GW

[awillie64]

Hello,

I need help...

My friends husband just passed and while he was sick, she had to put the fids in the basement. Red has been plucking. She is a 12yo GW. She had no toys.

I brought her home a temporarily placed in in a too small cage, until I can get HER cage here and cleaned up. She ate really well last night and took treats from me through the cage bars. This morning I scrambled some eggs for her and my CAG, they both ate most of them. Otherwise she lunges at me if I get too close. I know we have an adjustment period.

I want to do what's right for her and not make too many mistakes. Is there anything I should or should not be doing?

I know about the quarantine and I will schedule a vet visit as soon as I can.

Anything else?

I really want to be able to handle her and take her out of the cage, but that ENORMOUS beak really intimidates me!

My only experience is with my CAG that I brought home when he was 4 months and still being hand fed. I also have 2 tiels.

Thanks for your help and advice!

Amy

[Winged_Victory]

Take your time and you will have a beautiful loving bird on your hands. When you purchase your seed nut mix, make sure you get one for a large macaw. Fresh food is great if the GW will eat it, you may have to find out which fresh foods she will eat by trial and error. I bet your new bird would like some wood blocks to chew.............

Please keep us updated!

[Lori~D]

Gosh it sounds like your doing just fine. Take your time. Its great she got you instead of a local humane society. Find one type of food she likes best and then ONLY give it as a training tool. Use it when you begin to learn weather she can step up on hand or stick. I got a pair of soft kevlar bite sleeves from a dog grooming supply. they wont protect from a full on bite down but they will lessen the severity a whole bunch and they fit undetectable under a shirt sleeve. If nothing else they willl give you more confidence and when you have more confidence the bird will have more confidence in you. Just go slow. Get some books by Sally Blanchard and Mattie Sue Anderson.

[awillie64]

I had red stepo up on my arm. She did really well and so did I. She appeared relaxed and caklm. Her feathers were laying flat and she wasn't pinning her eyes.

So I put my other hand near her head to attempt scritches and she nailed me.

6 stitches later...

I really need help with this girl. I really don't want to get rid of her. My husband and sons are trying to force me to ditch her, but I don't want to give up on this.

What do I do now???

[birdsnreps]

wait til SHES ready for scritches. she will nudge you and fluff up her head feathers when shes ready.

[Barb E]

Maybe you're moving ahead a bit too fast...
It took 3 weeks before Ollie would let me touch him.
I talked to him alot and asked him "can I touch your toe". I moved slowly and praised him when he let me. I always talk to him before I do something.
So now, after 1 1/2 years I can hold him like a baby in my arms and tickle his tummy. He laughs and snuggles against me.
I hear that the GW (especially females) are affectionate so I'm guessing you need to move ahead more slowly, give her time to adapt and trust you.
Try and see it from her perspective.

Enjoy your big Red, go slow - you'll have many years ahead to scritch :)

[wildirish]

Go very slow! Red is greiving not only the loss of the husband, then he was put in a basement now he is with new people. Roarke went through some of this as well, similar situations.

It will take lots of patience, you will need to earn his trust at this point. Sit and talk to him near his cage. Let him come to you. Try eating bird safe foods near him, Roarke just has to come and see what is on the plate and take some.

Roarke is 12 and went through phases after his owners husband passed. He still has some trust issue, but now after almost 2 years he is so much better!

Patience is the key here, lots of it LOL!

[Lori~D]

It took me a looong time to get to the point of one short scritch between the bars with my rescue grey. Now I can scritch for a minute or two without him turning his head at me. Ive had him for many months and still cannot get him out without a towel and he will stay one a stand now for a bit. will raise his foot to step up but as soon as he is on your arm he flies and then shakes when he is safely in his cage. LOOOOTS OF TIME. You may never get to scritch for years or ever? But he still will enjoy being with you. Remeber - it takes a loong time for a bird to be allowed into a new flock and he may feel he has to defend himself. He did not know you, you are a stranger, you could have been planning on ripping his head of. Think of him as prey and you as a predator. You have to take (maybe years) to show him your no threat.